Roller Coasters

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CLICK HERE FOR YOUR PROJECT INTRODUCTION and INFORMATION



DAY 4 - Classwork - 5/7/13

1. Go to Roller Coasters - Inventing the Scream Machine and read about the invention of roller coasters back from the 1800's until today.

2. Create a timeline for roller coasters using the information from the page above. Use your Google Docs/Drive account to create a timeline. Be sure to put the information in your own words.

3. Share your timeline document with me at jennifer.hogan@mysota.net


DAY 3 - Classwork - 5/6/13

Continue your research at Amusement Park Physics. Be sure to read/listen to the introduction. Then, select the "roller coaster" link to learn more about how coasters work and to build your own. Think about the following:
  • How do physics laws affect amusement park ride design?
  • What is the difference between wooden and steel roller coasters?



DAY 2 - Classwork - 5/1/13


Roller Coaster Creator - http://www.brainpop.com/games/coastercreator/

DAY 1 Homework- 4/30/13

HOMEWORK 4/30/13 - CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT - My Roller Coaster Brainstorm

DAY 1 Classwork - 4/30/13

Roller Coasters
For many people, there is only one reason to go to an [[#|amusement park]]: the roller coaster. Some people call it the "scream machine," with good reason. The history of this ride reflects a constant search for greater and more death-defying thrills.

How does a roller coaster work?
What you may not realize as you're [[#|cruising]] down the track at 60 miles an hour is that the coaster has no engine. The car is pulled to the top of the first hill at the beginning of the ride, but after that the coaster must [[#|complete]] the ride on its own. You aren't being propelled around the track by a motor or pulled by a hitch. The conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy is what drives the roller coaster, and all of the kinetic energy you need for the ride is present once the coaster descends the first hill. Once you're underway, different types of wheels help keep the ride smooth. Running wheels guide the coaster on the track. Friction wheels control lateral motion (movement to either side of the track). A final set of wheels keeps the coaster on the track even if it's inverted. Compressed air brakes stop the car as the ride ends.

Wooden or steel coaster: Does it make a difference?
Roller coasters can be wooden or steel, and can be looping or non-looping. You'll notice a big difference in the ride depending on the type of material used. In general, wooden coasters are non-looping. They're also not as tall and not as fast, and they don't feature very steep hills or as long a track as steel ones do. Wooden coasters do [[#|offer]] one advantage over steel coasters, assuming you're looking for palm-sweating thrills: they sway a lot more. Tubular steel coasters allow more looping, higher and steeper hills, greater drops and rolls, and faster speeds.

Use the following websites to answer the questions on your google form:

[[#|Click here]] to get your Google Form to answer the following questions>>> ROLLER COASTER WORKSHEET
How Roller Coasters Work - http://science.howstuffworks.com/roller-coaster.htm
VIDEO - http://science.howstuffworks.com/396-build-it-bigger-kinetic-madness-video.htm

1. [[#|Watch the video]] and explain how a roller coaster works using the following terms: momentum, friction, energy and gravity.
2. Where is the highest point in the ride? Why?

The best place to sit - http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/question624.htm
3. What is the best place to sit in the roller coaster in order to get the "best ride"?

Inertia - http://science.howstuffworks.com/roller-coaster5.htm
4. How do you experience inertia in a roller coaster?